White Jade Tiger

Chapter 7 Volume [-] The Murderer
Volume [-] murderer

Chapter 3 The Man Who Lives on a Shelf

night.It rained like silk at night.The cold rain hit Wuji's face like a whip, but it couldn't quench the fire in his heart.

Even Feng Niang's tears couldn't be extinguished by the anger burning because of hatred, let alone this trace of night rain?
He has been running wildly, not because he has a definite destination and is in a hurry to get there, but because he wants to stay away from Feng Niang's eyes full of tenderness and tears.He can't let anyone's eyes impress his determination.

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It was very late at night, but suddenly a light appeared on the dark road.In this cold and rainy night, how could there be pedestrians on the road? Wuji didn't think about it, and he didn't think about it. He didn't want to meddle in other people's business, but who knew that this person just blocked his way.

The healthy horse he was sitting on screamed, and the person stood up, almost throwing him off the horse.

He was already angry, but he couldn't be angry, because the person blocking his way was just a child.

A child in a bright red dress with braids soaring to the sky, holding an oil-paper umbrella in his left hand and a Kongming lantern in his right, was looking at him and smiling.There is a small dimple on one side of the face when he smiles.

How can you be angry with such a child? But why is such a child walking on the road in the middle of the night?
Wuji restrained his horse first, and then asked, "Why don't you get out of the way? Aren't you afraid that this horse will kick you to death?"

The child shook his head, and the soaring braids tied with silk ropes swayed back and forth, like a clay doll.Wuji always liked children, and this child was also very likable.But he was too courageous, he was already too big for a child.

Wuji said, "Are you really not afraid?"

The child said: "I'm just afraid that the horse will be accidentally trampled to death by me, and I won't be able to pay for it." '

Wuji laughed, held back the laughter, put on a straight face, and said coldly: "Aren't you afraid that your parents will be anxious to wait at home?"

The child said: 'I have neither father nor mother. '

Wuji said: "No matter what, you should go home now." '

The child said: "I just came out of home." '

Wuji said, "It's so late, what are you doing out here?"

The child said: "Come out to find you." '

Although every word the child said was surprising, the most surprising thing was this one.

Wuji said, "Are you here to look for me?"

The child said: "Yes. '

Wuji said, "Do you know who I am?"

The child said: "Of course I know, your surname is Zhao, your name is Zhao Wuji, and you are the young master of Master Zhao of Dafeng Hall!"

Wuji was stunned.The child rolled his eyes and smiled again: "But you must not know who I am." '

Wuji really didn't know, he had never seen such a child before.

He just asked: 'Who are you?'

The child said: 'I am a child. '

Wuji said: "I know you are a child." '

The child said: "Since you know, why do you ask?"

Wuji said, "Ask your name." '

The child sighed and said, "I don't even have parents, how can I have a name?"

Wuji couldn't help but sighed in his heart, and asked again: "Who is in your family?"

The child said: "Besides my master, there is also a guest." '

Wuji asked, "Who is your master?"

The child said: "If I tell you, you won't recognize it!"

Wuji said, "He doesn't recognize me, why did he ask you to come and find me?"

The child said: "Who said he asked me to come?"

Wuji said, "It's not him, could it be some guest?"

The child sighed again, and said, "I thought you would never figure it out. I never thought you would be smart." '

Wuji said, "Is that guest of yours Sikong Xiaofeng?"

The child clapped his hands and laughed: "You are getting smarter and smarter. If you continue like this, maybe one day you will become smarter than me." '

Wuji could only smile wryly.

The child asked again: "Are you going?"

How could Wuji not go, since Sikong Xiaofeng had found him, he couldn't hide.

'where is your home?'

The child pointed to the sparse forest beside the road.

' right there. '

The drizzle is like silk, and the rain is like a curtain. The sparse forest seems to be behind the bead curtain.

So you have to go in to see the lights in those two windows.

Where there are lights, there are homes.

The two windows are not big, and the house is certainly not big. This is a small family in the first place.

How did Sikong Xiaofeng come here?
Wuji couldn't help asking: "Why did your master build the house here?"

The child said: "There is a house here, why can't I see the house here?"

Wuji said, "What is that if it's not a house?"

The child shook his head, sighed, and said, "Why are you so stupid again, why can't you even recognize a carriage?"

Wuji was stunned again.

But he finally found that under the 'house', there are four wheels.

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If it's a house, it's certainly not a big house, and if it's a carriage, it's a big one.

That's really a carriage,
Wuji had never seen such a big carriage, it looked like a small house.

The child asked: 'Have you ever lived in a carriage?'

Wuji said, "No." '

The child said: "That's why you don't know, living in a carriage is much more interesting than living in a house." '

Wuji said, "What's the fun?"

The child asked: "Can the house run around?"

Wuji said, "I can't." '

The child said: "But the carriage can run everywhere. Today we are in the east of the river, and tomorrow we will be in the west of the river. It seems that we have our homes everywhere!"

Wuji said, "You always regard this carriage as a home?"

The child nodded, but before he could speak, someone in the carriage was already asking.

'Is Mowgli coming!'

This is of course Sikong Xiaofeng's voice!
□□□

The spacious compartment is divided into two layers by a purple-red curtain, and behind the curtain must be the owner's bedroom.

Outside there is a long couch, a table, a short table, and several rosewood chairs.There are several calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, some exquisite antiques, as well as a stool, an incense burner, and a game of chess.

Everything was clearly planned and placed in just the right place.

Every inch is so well utilized that even the most discerning person will find nothing wrong with it.

Reclining on the couch was a middle-aged man with gray temples, well-groomed, well-dressed, and a gentle smile on his handsome face.

Anyone should be able to see that he must have been a very popular man with girls before.

If it weren't for his back, he must be equally popular with girls now.

But there was a bracket made of pure steel on his back, his body seemed to be supported by this frame, without this frame, his whole body would be torn apart.

No matter who sees him for the first time, there will be a strange feeling in his heart.

It was like the first time you saw a man being tortured with a stick.

It's just that the torture suffered by others will soon pass, but he has to endure it for a lifetime.

□□□

Wuji only glanced at this person.

Because he no longer wants to take a second look, and he can't bear to take a second look.

Sikong Xiaofeng sat on a rosewood chair opposite the car door, smiled and said, "You're finally here!"

Wuji didn't ask him, "How did you know I'd come?"

The man always seemed to know things he wasn't supposed to know.

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "I wanted to pick you up by myself, but I—"

Wuji suddenly interrupted him and said, "But you are afraid of getting wet." '

Sikong Xiaofeng looked surprised and said, "How do you know!"

Wuji said: "I know, the three things you are most afraid of are picking dung, playing chess, and getting caught in the rain." '

Sikong Xiaofeng laughed.

Wuji said, "I never understood, why are you afraid of playing chess?"

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Because playing chess not only requires careful attention, but also hurts the mind too much." '

A person like him certainly doesn't want to waste his mind on things like playing chess.

There are still many things in this world that require his heart and mind.There are many more important things than playing chess!
The host on the couch suddenly smiled and said, "A useless person like me who wanders all over the world is not afraid of hurting his heart!"

Although his smile was gentle, it also carried an indescribable loneliness: "I'm afraid that no one will play chess with me." '

□□□

There is a slanting wind and light rain outside the window, and the first half of the game is broken!
Could it be that he has always lived in this kind of life, always carrying this shelf on his back?
Although Wuji has been pretending not to see his pain, he is not good enough.

The master smiled again and said, "Of course I'm also very afraid of my deadly air, but it's a pity that I can't live without it." '

Wuji could no longer pretend that he didn't hear, and couldn't help asking: 'Why?'

The master said: "Because I have a terrible back vertebra on my back, which has been completely broken. If I don't have this terrible frame, I will become like mud!"

He smiled and said again: "So even I am surprised that I can still live until now." '

Wuji suddenly felt that his back was also cold, from the back to the soles of the feet.

Although he couldn't understand how much pain this person was enduring, he couldn't admire a person who knew that he would live on a shelf all his life, but he could always smile on his face.

The master seemed to have seen what he was thinking, and said: "But you don't need to admire me, in fact, everyone has such a frame, but you can't see it." '

He stared at Wuji like a connoisseur looking at a piece of fine china: 'Even yourself. '

Wuji didn't understand: 'Me too?'

The master said: "You are also a patient, and you also have a frame on your body, so you didn't fall down." '

Wuji obviously still didn't understand what he meant, so he could only keep silent, waiting for him to continue.

The host said: "You are wearing heavy filial piety, which means that someone close to you must have passed away recently. '

Mowgli was sad.

The thought of his father's death gave him a pang, almost unbearable.

The master said: "Your face is pale and haggard, and your eyes are bloodshot, which means that your heart is not only sad, but also full of hatred." '

He sighed, and said again: "Sorrow and hatred are both diseases, and you are already very sick." '

Mowgli admits.

The master said: "You haven't fallen until now, but you can't fall because you want revenge." '

Wuji clenched his fists tightly and said, "You read that right!"

The host said: "The idea of ​​revenge is your airs. Without this airs, you would have already collapsed!"

Now Wuji finally understood what he meant.

Although this man's idea is peculiar, it contains a thought-provoking philosophy that is irrefutable.

Although his body is crippled, his mind is far more sound and sensitive than most people.

Wuji couldn't help but want to ask.

What kind of person is this person?
Before he asked, Sikong Xiaofeng smiled and said: "This person is a weird person." '

why is he a weirdo
Sikong Xiaofeng said: "I have never seen him earn a penny, but he lives like a prince. '

Wuji saw this.

Every decoration and antique in this carriage is worth more than a thousand gold, and the clothes he wears are noble in both style and material.

Of course, there are some things that Wuji can't see.

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Although he himself lives in the carriage, there are at least [-] people waiting for his orders within [-] steps of the carriage, including four good cooks who can't even invite the imperial cook; And four grooms who used to raise horses for the great generals who conquered the Western Regions!'

The master smiled slightly and said, "It's not four, it's six." '

There was no pride or boastfulness in his smile.

He said this just to correct a little mistake of others.

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "The carriage and wheels of this carriage are specially refined, and they are far stronger than ordinary houses, so the weight is inevitably heavier. Although the eight horses pulling the carriage are all good horses, they can gallop three to five times fast." After a hundred miles, it still needs to be replaced once. '

Wuji couldn't help asking: "How to change?"

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "As long as it is a place he often goes to, there will be a horse changing station for him every three to five hundred miles." '

He sighed, and said again: "According to my estimation, the horses he raises are at least [-] horses, and they are still good horses chosen among thousands." '

It is almost a myth that a person can raise [-] horses.

But Sikong Xiaofeng spoke very seriously, and Wuji also knew that he was definitely not a person who would brag and exaggerate.

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Only maintaining these thirty attendants and eight hundred horses, his monthly expenses must be at least 5000 taels!"

Wuji said, "But you never saw him earn a penny?"

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "He doesn't even own an acre of land. '

Wuji said: "Maybe he has opened many pawnshops, and pawnshops have always been a profitable business." '

The master suddenly sighed and said, "Do you think I'm a businessman? Do I look so vulgar!"

Wuji has to admit that this person does not seem to be a businessman, and he is not vulgar at all!
Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Although he is handicapped, he can't even kill a fly, but people who are rude to him will often come to him."
He died suddenly the next day for no apparent reason. '

The master sighed and said, "For a person who has the heart to bully the disabled, God will always give him bad luck!"

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "But I have never been able to figure out whether it is God who brought those people bad luck, or himself?"

He smiled and said again: "I only know that among his thirty followers, at least ten of them can definitely be regarded as first-class masters in the martial arts. '

Wuji listened to him, as if listening to a story about a mythical character.

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Now do you already know what kind of person he is?"

Wuji said, "I don't know!"

Sikong Xiaofeng smiled bitterly and said: "Actually, I don't know either. I have been friends with him for many years, and I don't even know his real name, but as long as I know he is nearby, I will drop everything and come to see him." he!'

The owner smiled and said, "We haven't seen each other for a long time, so you want to come and see me." '

He turned to Wuji: "But this young man may not necessarily want to see a cripple like me, and now he may feel very bored in his heart!"

Wuji said: "To meet such a person, no one will feel bored!" He said very sincerely: "It's a pity that I have other things, and I have to leave now!"

The host said: "If you agree to stay, I guarantee that you will meet many more interesting people and things tonight!"

Wuji hesitated, his curiosity had been aroused, and he could no longer refuse this invitation.

The owner has a better smile!
A man who lives in solitude all the year round will always be extraordinarily hospitable.

He assured Wuji again: 'I think you will never be disappointed. '

□□□

Who will come here tonight?
It was an unforgettable experience in such a strange carriage, with such a strange owner.

Wuji really can't think of anything more interesting to meet tonight!
On the armrest next to the couch, there was a small golden clock hanging. The master picked up a small golden hammer and tapped it lightly.

He smiled and explained: "This is the bell I use to call people. I only need to ring once, which means that the person I want to call is my housekeeper Hu Ju." '

As soon as the bell rang, before he could finish his words, Hu Ju appeared, like an elf waiting for the magic call at any moment.

He is a nine-foot-tall giant, with deep-set eyes, curly hair, a dark and shiny face, with a beast-like demeanor, a pair of big hands with exposed veins, and a shiny handle slanted into his belt. The Persian scimitar made him look more dangerous and terrifying.

But in front of his master, he showed absolute obedience and obedience.

As soon as he appeared, he threw himself on the ground, prostrated himself at his master's feet, and gently kissed his master's feet in soft silk sleeping shoes with the most respectful attitude.

For him, being able to kiss his master's feet was already a great honor.

The master's attitude towards him was cold and serious: "Is it almost midnight now?"

'Yes. '

'Are you fully ready?'

'Yes. '

Although the master was very satisfied, he didn't show any signs of consolation, and only ordered lightly: "Then we can start now." '

'yes. Hu Ju cast himself on the ground again before retreating.

Although he only said the word 'yes', Wuji could already hear that his accent was very strange and blunt.

The host saw the guest's curiosity again, and said: "His father is a Persian businessman. He was originally a strongman under the general's account. Once he violated the military law by mistake, he should have been executed on the spot." '

The general's military order is like a mountain, known all over the world, how could he escape from the knife?
The master said: "I exchanged his life from the general with a pair of bloody horses from Dawan. '

The general is addicted to horses. In his eyes, a pair of well-bred horses is far more precious than anyone's life.

Sikong Xiaofeng sighed and said, "Fortunately, you have such a pair of BMWs, so you can exchange for such a loyal servant." '

The master said: "He is not my servant, he is my slave, I can ask him to die at any time!"

When he said it lightly, he didn't mean to boast at all, but just stated a fact.

But to other people's ears, it undoubtedly sounds like a story in a myth.

Fortunately, Wuji has gradually gotten used to this kind of thing, and he is no longer surprised, let alone doubted.

Right here, in the dark woods, it is like a miracle that the light is shining.

Wuji didn't even see a single lamp at first, but now his surroundings were illuminated as brightly as day.

All the trees standing in front of the carriage suddenly fell down.The fallen tree was quickly dragged away by a thick rope.

The woods turned into flat land in an instant.Although Wuji saw it with his own eyes, he still couldn't believe his eyes.

The owner's pale face finally showed satisfaction.

No one would be dissatisfied with the efficiency of his subordinates.

Sikong Xiaofeng sighed again.He always wanted his subordinates to do things with the same efficiency.

He couldn't help but said: "For a person like Hu Ju, it is worthwhile to exchange ten pairs of BMWs." '

The master smiles.

Although this man is not a businessman, he seldom does business at a loss. The rain has stopped.

Suddenly there was a sound of knocking on bamboo boards outside the woods, and a person yelled loudly. 'Spiced cooked beef, large wontons with vegetable and meat. Amidst the yelling, a fat man wearing a bamboo hat walked into the open space carrying a load of wontons.

At one end in front of the burden, a stove is burning hot, and the pot on the stove is steaming. In addition to a cabinet for bowls and chopsticks, there is a gauze cover for beef at the back end.In Jiangnan, when you can't sleep at night, you can find such snacks at any time, order a bowl of hot wontons to eat.

But Wuji never dreamed that he would see this kind of snack here.

Who in this place will eat his wanton?
As soon as the burden of wontons was put down, there was another cry outside, and a person sang in Su Bai; "white sugar square cake, yellow sponge cake, red bean mung bean sweet cake." '

A tall and thin old man, with a green gauze cabinet on his back, walked in while singing.

These kinds of soft cakes he sells are the most popular sweets in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

But how did he sell it here?
It wasn't just the two of them who came.

Following them, there are those who sell stewed vegetables, wine, Hubei bean curd, fried noodles, Shandong steamed buns, Fuzhou pancakes, Lingnan fish ball powder, and roast duck. There are all kinds of barbecued pork, mutton head meat with fire, squid soup, tofu brain, and BJ bean juice. , walked into this brightly lit open space from all directions.

This flat land suddenly became lively, like a temple fair market.

Wuji was dumbfounded.

He had never seen so many hawkers selling snacks and snacks, and he never imagined that they would come here. What are they doing here?
Who here eats what they sell?
No one eats them, it's as if they're ready to eat themselves.

But before they started eating, each of them chose the best part of the things they sold and sent them to the mysterious owner of this mysterious carriage.

The wonton seller first came over with a bowl of hot wontons, knelt down outside the car door, and said respectfully: "This is a little bit of the disciple's filial piety to the master. I wish the master good health and all the best." '

The master just nodded with a smile, without even saying a word 'thank you'.

But the wonton seller was overjoyed and overjoyed, because he had seen his master's smile.

Then there are cake sellers, stewed vegetables sellers, wine sellers, bean curd skin sellers, fragrant pancake sellers...

One after another, they all came over, and they all knelt down and expressed their gratitude and congratulations to the master in their own native dialect.

Listening to their accents, there are both southern accents and northern accents, obviously they are not from the same place.

They coincidentally, traveled thousands of miles to come here, is it just to give this roll of fragrant cakes and a bowl of wonton?
Mowgli is even weirder!
When he saw an old woman selling fried five-spice peanuts coming over with a handful of peanuts in her hands, he could hardly help crying out.

This old woman who sold spiced peanuts turned out to be a black woman famous all over the world for her "golden bow and silver bullet".

But the black granny didn't seem to see him at all, let alone recognize him. She knelt down on the ground respectfully, offered her gift, and left gratefully in exchange for the master's smile.Wuji had no choice but to suppress his curiosity.He had always been a well-bred young man, and he did not want to be rude to his hospitable host.

□□□

At this time, the hawkers are already drinking to their heart's content. You drink my wine, I eat your beef, and exchange with each other, eating very happily.

This way of eating is indeed unique and interesting, and it is much more enjoyable than eating a whole table of wing mats.

Not only do they all know each other, but they also seem to be very good friends.

It's just that everyone is running around for their lives, and it is difficult to see each other once. Only on this day in a year can we get together happily.Drink to your heart's content and part ways happily.

Strangely, the wontons don't look like wontons, and the pancakes don't look like pancakes.

Although the identities of others cannot be determined, at least Wuji always knows that Granny Hei is definitely not a spiced peanut seller.

Could it be that everyone else is like her, but they use peddlers to cover up their identities?
What do they usually do?
□□□

Wuji drank a few glasses of wine, ate a piece of famous Hubei lard bean curd, and ate a lot of miscellaneous things, which he absolutely couldn't eat at the same time on weekdays.

The master looked at him with a smile in his eyes. 'I like young people with a good appetite. Only those who are strong and do nothing wrong will have a good appetite. '

What he said seemed a little strange, but it all made sense.

He asked Wuji again: "Do you think they are all interesting?"

Mowgli admits. ' But I haven't seen anything interesting, and eating isn't very interesting. '

The master smiled and said: 'You will see. '

□□□

Before Wuji saw an interesting thing, these people had already left.

Before leaving, everyone kowtowed to the mysterious master and greeted each other!
'see you next year!'

The voice of greeting is still in the ear, and all their people have left cleanly, leaving behind all the burdens, cabinets, and furniture that made money they brought. Could it be that they are so drunk that they can't even eat by themselves? Forgot all the furniture?
Sikong Xiaofeng couldn't help but said, "Why didn't you ask them to take the things away?"

The host said: "They brought this book specially for me, why did they take it away?"

Sikong Xiaofeng said: "Why did they give you these things?"

The master said: "Because they know that I have to raise [-] followers and [-] horses!"

Sikong Xiaofeng couldn't help laughing and said, "But, what do you want these things for? Don't you want to switch to selling wonton noodles?"

The host also laughed.

At this moment, another person's voice sounded from outside the woods, like thunder, shaking people's ears 'rumbling'.

One laughed and said, "I knew you must be here, you can't hide from me!"

(End of this chapter)